Abstract Photo Series Captures the Serenity of the Ocean
Looking to evoke feelings of calmness and peace through photography, Lazar Gintchin created a collection of abstract ocean and seascapes focused on simplicity, movement, and softness.
Simplicity Has its Beauty
Although Gintchin often looks for the grand or picturesque views in his landscape photography, like during his trip to capture the vibrant landscape of the Faroe Islands. But for his latest “Ocean Abstracts” collection, he went down a more experimental route.
“It really started by seeing a photograph online which just sparked my curiosity,” Gintchin tells PetaPixel. “I wasn’t that impressed with it but liked it enough to get curious. Once I started experimenting with my camera out on the shore, I became very attracted to the simplicity of the abstract beauty of the ocean.”
Gintchin admits that landscape photographers often look for “that amazing scenery that takes our breath away,” but through this work, he found a different type of beauty in the simplicity of calm water scenes and pastel tones.
“I learned that a simple soft picture of clouds, water, and sometimes sand, can actually convey a lot of moods and feelings also”, he explains. “I was excited to try something new and just had fun with it.”
No Rules for Creative Experimentation
It took Gintchin two separate multi-day trips along the southeast shores of Florida to complete his project over a period of around six months. Unlike his other nature photography work, “Ocean Abstracts” was more about creative experimentation without any self-imposed rules.
“I took advantage of low light and moving water,” Gintchin says. “I used overcast skies. I captured the color of water, clouds, and sky, and looked for compositions that encapsulate all of them.”
“I was also drawn to the ocean waves, both big and small, and photographed their beauty,” he continues. “It was actually very refreshing in a sense, to shoot without particular photographic aspects in mind, but to just allow the creativity and experimentation to flow on the spot.”
He shot using a variety of camera settings and light conditions, freeing his photography of any “rules” because, in his view, abstract ocean photography can be expressed in many different ways.
Gintchin’s work may at one time be an intimate scene captured as a close-up or perhaps a long exposure to achieve soft water movement. Other times, he also used the movement of the camera or a combination of methods.
“I did a lot of experimentation with light, composition, movement, and shutter speed, without using a specific formula,” he says.
More of Gintchin’s work can be found on his website and Instagram.
Image credits: Photos by Lazar Gintchin.
